Vicky’s home alone

THE CHIPS are certainly not down for one lucky Ancoats resident. Fortunate Vicky Williams is the very first resident of the trendy £19m Chips development meaning she has the whole iconic building to herself.

Fortunate Vicky Williams is the very first resident of the trendy £19m Chips development meaning she has the whole iconic building to herself.

Chips, the brainchild of maverick architect Will Alsop, is modelled on a stack of wavy designer chips and emblazoned with the names of the north’s great canals. Vicky, 28, said: "I knew the Chips building was being built, but never imagined I could ever afford to live there.

"I love Urban Splash’s contemporary style, and the location is amazing, just a few minutes walk into central Manchester. I’m proud to be the first resident at Chips.

"It’s such a striking building and is so completely different from anything else in the city."

Vicky, like most people at the moment, was struggling to pay for an ever increasing deposit, but through the Try Before You Buy scheme, she was able to buy her dream first home.

"It became obvious that unless I could lay my hands on tens of thousands of pounds for a deposit, buying was looking increasingly unlikely," explained Vicky.

"This was frustrating and depressing, because a place of my own would be an investment for the future and would feel ‘mine’ in a way that renting never can.

"It has allowed me to save up while I settle in. It’s the ideal stepping stone towards buying my home in the future."

Chips is one of the key developments at New Islington and once complete the area will boast shops, pubs and bars, a tram stop. health centre and idyllic canal sides.